Athlete, No More Out of Sight and Out of Mind

Holly PageMarch 2, 2018

9-13“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13 (ESV)

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” No truer statement was ever penned.

I was reminded of this saying as I was crawling on the floor with my two grandsons. I mused at how I could literally control their attitudes and actions by removing from their sight any object that was causing them frustration, angst or discomfort.

I believe this old adage works, not just for toddlers, but for adults too.

Let me explain. I caught myself changing lanes the other day to avoid seeing the homeless man begging at the intersection in the cold and drizzling rain.

If I hid behind the truck next to me, my view was blocked and so was my heart -- shocking, revealing, but honest!

If I didn’t see the problem, I could compartmentalize my discomfort, my outrage, my sadness and go about my business as usual.

Athlete, what or who have you put away, hidden, blocked from view, turned away from or avoided?

What unpleasant or uncomfortable person, situation or question are you avoiding?

The truth is, if it’s not in our spiritual sight, it’s off our spiritual radar! And if it’s off the radar, we don’t have to confront, change or correct our attitudes and actions.

“Out of sight, out of mind.”

However, Romans 12 addresses this faulty thinking. Our God-mandate to love others doesn’t allow for us to look the other way.

Paul uses action verbs like love, be devoted, honor, serve, pray, share and practice hospitality to describe how we must activate our love for one another.

Christian, we understand that loving others is an action based on an attitude, not just an idea.

Maybe you know of a hurting teammate who needs to hear about Jesus, or a coach who could use an encouraging word, or a referee who would be blessed by the simple phrase, “Good call!”

There are countless ways each day to love others. So let’s commit to open our eyes, see and act according to Romans 12!